Perspectives on Organizational Growth

In recent years there has been a tremendous increase in the number of people with disabilities supported in community settings in the United States and other locations around the world. An assumption of this growth is that private organizations, both for-profit and nonprofit, will provide most of the services and supports. As expansion continues, provider organizations are faced with the question of whether they should grow in size. In this article we present perspectives on expansion with case studies of two organizations from the state of Oregon in the Pacific Northwest of the United States: Independent Environments, which supports approximately 20 people with an annual budget of approximately $1,000,000, and Partnerships in Community Living, which supports approximately 115 people with an annual budget of approximately $10,000,000. These organizations have pursued different policies regarding growth, with different patterns of success and difficulty. Examples of other...